Rating: 
Summary: A VERY GOOD MOVIE WITH BEAUTIFUL CINEMATOGRAPHY.
Review: "Master & Commander: The Far Side Of The World" on the technical aspect is the only opponent for "The Lord Of The Rings: The Return Of The King" in the awards season. The level of detail that this movie presents is fantastic: the photography allows to see even the slightest detail of the ships used in this film. The cannonballs are so real that once in a while you might feel the need of dodging them. Russell Boyd, the cinematographer of "Master & Commander" did a great job, specially capturing on-screen the natural beauties of the Galapagos Islands and the vastness of the sea.However, the biggest problem in "Master & Commander" are the first 50 minutes of the movie. Requires patience because the rhythm it's kinda slow, so the audiences that like movies with the pace of a video-game (explosions every 5 minutes, MTV fast editing) should consider before watching this movie. For the rest of us that enjoy the development of a plot (even if the pace is slow), the final 80 minutes of the movie are the reward: the film becomes very interesting, the action scenes are incredible, the battles are very realistic, the characters become multidimensional persons, and the plot gets better and better every minute. On the technical aspect "Master & Commander" is excellent, but the performances are good. Russell Crowe as Captain Jack Aubrey is very good as usual, but Paul Bettany is outstanding in the role of Dr. Stephen Maturin, the best friend of the captain (perhaps Paul Bettany should have been nominated for best supporting actor). And a very pleasant surprise is the youngster Max Pirkis, as the charismatic Lord Blackeney, a kid that will win the sympathy of the audiences. "Master & Commander" is a very interesting movie, a visual and sound feast. The sound effects are astonishing, the music is great (featuring music from Beethoven and Mozart). After the opening 50 minutes, the story gets better every minute.
Rating: 
Summary: most disappointing of any Crowe film...........
Review: The story basically is Aubrey chasing around in the southern part of the hemisphere after a French man'o'war.....that is it...
I found it (extremely)tedious and annoying.
One of the most distracting part of it was the noise.
The dialogue was often drowned in it.....
Frankly I think Weir should have spent a bit more time on character development........
If you think that this film is exciting, then you probably would love watching grass grow.......
Rating: 
Summary: I Just Returned From Voyage Around Cape Horn
Review: A lot of this movie was shot around Cape Horn. The seas were exactly what my ship went through for five hours. I saw Crowe on Letterman and was amazed at all the research and books he had to read to prepare. A brilliant film which should win best director. I'm into nautical movies and this one is the best yet!!
Rating:
Summary: Channelling Lord Nelson!
Review: Yes, that's what this movie looked like at the outset. It's 1805--Trafalgar Year! When Master and Commander Russell Crowe is at dinner with his officers, one of them musters up the courage to ask him, "Sir have you ever met the Admiral?" We are then treated to Crowe's reverential view of Horatio Lord Nelson. Then, after a nasty battle, a young lad has had to have his arm amputated. M&C Crowe visits the lad whilst recuperating. He is moved to see what's happened to this little tyke, and says something to the effect of, "Well, here's something you can read in the meantime!" and out comes a life story of Nelson. And, in case some in the audience are light on their Nelson lore, the first few pages of the book are turned to show Nelson with his empty sleeve pinned up--he's an amputee, just like Our Brave Lad. The Lad looks up at M&C Crowe and puts it to him: "What's he like, sir?" Yet Our Man can give no answer, but just moves away. Well, having been prepared with these Nelsonic emblems, I thought I could predict a thing or two about this movie. The mission of the ship is to track down a French vessel in the Western Hemisphere and stop/sink her. But just a few minutes into the flick comes that sea battle mentioned above that seriously cripples M&C's ship. Everyone's for going back to refit, except--most importantly of course--M&C. He says, I've got my orders and that's it. I, TutorGal, then waited to hear him express WHY this had to be, because of all the Nelson stuff earlier. I mean, it just hung there in the air waiting to be verbalized: BECAUSE ENGLAND EXPECTS THAT EVERY MAN SHOULD DO HIS DUTY. Those are the most famous words of Lord Nelson, you see. Interestingly enough, though, not a peep about this. Now of course, one could argue that the saying comes from the Battle of Trafalgar, which hadn't happened yet in this movie, and you'd be right. But couldn't M&C have said, since he seems really into Nelson, something like, "Every time I ever heard him, he commented on how important it was to do your duty." Not the real famous quote, but something that would suggest that Nelson communicated how essential he found this value to the young M&C. I also have since learned that this movie is based on a rather well-known and loved book series. This explains something which had baffled me during the movie, precisely: why was I supposed to be into the ship's doctor's scene? He and M&C are always exchanging "meaningful glances" which if you hadn't read these books (like me) you might interpret as "these guys have something going on the side". Actually, it's that they are the best of friends--soulmates but just of the same gender. But herein also must have been a disappointment for those who had come to the theatre because of having loved the books. At one point, M&C is trying to figure out how come these French guys are always able to psych out the English ship's position. Doctor replies, The French navy has their spies, as do we. Then, another of those "glances". What was that about? Even if you were a spy on the English ship, well, what were you going to do with this purloined information--toss it overboard in a bottle? But evidentally, the ship's doctor--in the books--is himself a spy, of all things. But since nothing else was made of this, it was a line that was just there as a table scrap to book readers. After a while, Sea Literature 101 starts to loom on the horizon. There's some junior officer who always seems to have bad luck on his watch and others begin to grumble that he's...Jonah! Uh oh, know what you have to do with a Jonah, don't you? Then remember, M&C won't listen to reason about turning back. Doctor tried to get through to him. He seems as obsessed as if he were hunting down...a white whale! Well, metaphorically at least. And then, of all things, what starts flying around just above the deck? Did you guess it already? Did you? An...albatross! And some stupid guy gets out a gun and then...calamity!!! Which leads to the most outlandish operation scene I've ever seen in any movie, period. I don't want to spoil it entirely, but let's just say there are some things you just can't do yourself, and abdominal surgery is one of them. Now, lest you think that this movie ought to be beached, not the case at all!! Actually, it has a lot going for it. Russell Crowe makes for a nice captain--none of that Bligh stuff on this boat. The little kid is quite scrappy and likeable, as are most of the crew. There is a sense of real exhilaration when M&C puts his boot up on the side of his ship and sails along with his ponytail in the wind. And when there's a battle scene, they go for it! So I liked this movie in spite of my scribblings above.
It's a good movie in many respects, but it just seems to be lacking something, which is I expect something from the books themselves. Hence, four not five stars.
Rating: 
Summary: Master and Commander: The Far Side of Russell Crowe's ego
Review: This is not very enjoyable, and I think the Oscars have been corrupt since Jerry McGuire won best picture. I know I'm in the minority, but the individuals set of films just rubs me the wrong way. I doubt the historical accuracy of the films, and do not enjoy the sense of self-importance and bravado. Want to be a leading man? Lose 30 pounds and get a haircut. I find Ben Affleck to be a better leading man, and I think he's a robot in a Daredevil costume. The day these folks re-make Deliverance with Russell Crowe as Ned Beatty, Ben Affleck as Burt Reynolds, Matt Damon as John Voigt, and Tom Cruise as Ronny Cox is the day they take some daring and bold roles. I think Norm McDonald and Artie Lang from the film Dirty Work would nicely reprise the part of the Hillbilly's that victimized Ned Beatty and John Voigt.
Rating:
Summary: Shows what can happen when studios work together.
Review: There are so many positive things to say about this movie. The great screenplay, spot on casting, great production design and cinematography, a sense of being as true to the history of the sailing ships as much as possible, and a case of so many things coming together to make a great picture. Something is quite rare these days. It also says something about what can happen when the movie studios pull their resources together and make a great picture. This movie was a co-production of 20th Century Fox and Universal Studios, and it lends support to my viewpoint that these two studios are really two sides of the same coin when it comes to making movies. They do bring together the best of cast and crew to make movies and then market and promote them as much as possible. To me, it only made sense for them to collaberate on a epic movie like this and the winners are the movie audiences who see this movie. Can't wait for the DVD.
Rating:
Summary: Strong on cinematography, not on character development
Review: The film presents an excellent and action-filled sea story, and it is beautifully filmed, but fans of the O'Brian series, who have become involved with the relationship between Jack Aubrey and Stephen Maturin, will go away unsatisfied. The film did not capture that relationship. Nor was Maturin well cast or developed. Russel Crowe did a creditable job of portraying one aspect of Aubrey, the competitive hunter and naval officer, though the character was a bit muted, possibly because the script did not provide for enough scope. The principal sin: The film tried to cover too much material in too little time. The result was a hurried and sometimes chaotic story line, and key elements lost.
Rating:
Summary: Great but still lacks something
Review: Let me start off by saying that I really enjoyed this movie. Russel Crow takes his performance by the horns and prooves it by playing the violin. The opening action sequence was more realistic than most I have seen and the could never gain the upper hand. However, I was expecting more of an action flick than a plot filled movie that kept you interested. The previews showed it as a constant battle, but it was a struggle against nature that they showed. The movie was still very good, and the performances were delivered solidly. Watch it if you like movies.
Rating:
Summary: Really Great
Review: I thought this movie really stayed with the books, a few things were modified, but in all it was fantastic.
Rating: 
Summary: Rather Boring!
Review: I want to talk about "Master and Commander The Far Side of the World." I thought would like this movie because: a)It got so many good reviews and usually that is a sign that it is a good movie.
b)Russell Crowe usually picks good movies(Remember "A Beautiful Mind." I really enjoyed how this movie made you feel that you were actually on a boat. The preformanceswere also great. Russell Crowe could be nominated for an Oscar. The problem with this movie was that it was a little dull. The movie is about two and a half hours, and I felt that some of the scenes could have been deleted from the movie. I felt the same way and I stated that in my review for "Cold Mountain." I also gave that three stars for the exact same reasons. Both of these movies wee good but had scenes that were useless. I also didn't feel that the plot for this movie came early enough. The storyline started pretty late in the movie. This movie also ends it as if there is defintly going to be a sequal. They probally will because it made alot of money already, and because it is based on a seris of books. There is more to the story then this. The story is about Russell Crowe and Paul Bettany as Captain Jack and Dr. Stephan Maturin. It takes places in April of 1805 and the only thing that stands between Napoleon and the world is the British Army. Jack is ordered to take his warship and intercept the French. But the French have caught up to Jack's boat and after a brutal attack, Jack's boat escapes into the fogbank. Jack's choice to fix the boat at sea instead of going to a port does not feel right to his right hand man, friend, and doctor to the boat Stephan Maturin. As Jack continues to follow the French boat, they try to avoid more attacks, and they push the crew and the young men on the boat to their limits. But Jack becomes determined to catch the French to the point where Maturin begins to question his professional choices, and if they are the right ones or not. I wrote a review for "Master and Commander," when I first saw it a few months ago but it didn't make it to amazon. So I decided to rewrite it and try to explain more what could have made the film worked. Like I said above, the movie made you feel that you were really on a ship. But some of the scenes also were not needed. Take the scene where Maturin gets shot, and preforms the operation on himself. I liked that scene, but it didn't fit in to the story. It was a good movie, but I was very hopeful that it would be a great movie. Mixed reviews for this one. Should have waited for the video. A must-see for the home. ENJOY! Rated PG-13 for intense battle sequences, related images, and brief language.
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